Efficient Trotting with CT-SLIP: Linear Resonance Analysis for Clock Parameter Selection
2026 IEEE/ASME International Conference on Advanced Intelligent Mechatronics, AIM 2026, Genoa, Italy, 7 - 10 July 2026, (Full Text)
- Publication Type: Conference Paper / Full Text
- Doi Number: 10.1109/aim65483.2026.11658155
- City: Genoa
- Country: Italy
- Keywords: Cost of Transport, energy efficiency, Legged robots, optimal control, template-based control
- Middle East Technical University Affiliated: Yes
Abstract
We propose a speed-conditioned framework for selecting gait timing parameters in quadrupedal trotting using the resonance properties of a Clock Torque Actuated Spring-Loaded Inverted Pendulum (CT-SLIP) template. Building on our previous controller capable of producing walking, regular, and running trots, this work introduces a linear resonance analysis that relates the natural radial and angular modes of the template to preferred stance and cycle times. Given a desired forward speed, a Froude-scaled speed indicator is used to select the trotting regime, and the corresponding timing parameters are obtained from the linearized dynamics. Simulation results on a Unitree GO1 model reveal clear Cost of Transport (CoT) trends across gaits and cycle times, enabling a simple speed-conditioned schedule that maintains lower CoT than fixed-gait baselines across a wide velocity range. Initial hardware experiments at low speeds show trends consistent with simulation results.